NORTH LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — One man has died following a drug deal that occurred late Sunday night in North Las Vegas.
Just after 11 p.m. Feb. 16, officers who were at North Vista Hospital on an unrelated call were approached by an arriving vehicle. There was a 22-year-old male passenger with a gunshot wound in the vehicle. Shortly after the victim arrived at the hospital, he was pronounced deceased.
The preliminary investigation indicates the shooting occurred near Hamilton Street and Putnam Avenue. The victim met up with 18-year-old Rodrigo Chavez and 19-year-old Blake Whittington to purchase marijuana. Instead of paying for the marijuana, the victim stole it and fled. Whittington and Chavez chased him before firing multiple rounds at the victim, striking him at least once.
Chavez was located by detectives in the North Las Vegas and was subsequently booked into the Las Vegas City Jail on charges of attempted murder with a deadly weapon, open murder with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit murder, three counts of discharging a firearm at an occupied vehicle and discharging a weapon within a vehicle.
Whittington was located by North Las Vegas Detectives in Henderson and was subsequently booked into the Las Vegas City Jail on the same charges as Chavez. See his attached booking photo.
The coroner's office will release the identity of the victim, and cause and manner of death, after proper notification to next of kin.
This is the 3rd homicide in North Las Vegas this year.
Anyone with information in this case is urged to call the North Las Vegas Police Department at 702-633-9111 or, to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555.
